Out of time
by edwartforever
Summary: Τhe 5th book of the series is over,leaving me us vague hopes of a happily ever after for our heroes.But in reality life isn't so easy and always something prevents us from finding our happiness.Whilst three of our four favourite couples seem to have found happiness,things for Cinder & Kai seem to be very difficult.5 long years have distanced them and have made them lose their hopes
1. Chapter 1

**Out of Time**

 **Disclaimer; I do not own nothing, except the storyline.**

….

Chapter 1; Goodbyes

The throne room was filled with darkness. If some guard entered it, searching for the queen, he would report to his superior that she wasn't there, that the throne room was empty. But he would be wrong.

The Queen Selene Channary Jannali Blackburn, over the past five years of her rule, has adopted this bizarre secret habit of hers; to sit alone in her throne admiring the stunt view of Earth that she had from there.

That was exactly what she was doing right now, when she was supposed to be preparing for her trip in Earth. She didn't feel guilty about it, she never did. She was always punctuate to her responsibilities and never let down anyone.

It could be said that she was a good and fair queen after all, she thought relieved.

She couldn't say that she didn't feel a sense of sadness filling her now when the time to leave her home planet had finally come. But at the same time over the past five years she had never stopped thinking of Earth and secretly hoping that soon she would be able to return to it, the planet that felt as her really home, although she wasn't born in it.

In a few hours, she would be to her home.

Besides her responsibilities here had ended. There was nothing else she could do about this planet; Not only did she fixed the relationship between the governments of Luna and Earth, but between the citizens too. The last couple of years the traveling and immigration of Lunars and Earthens to Earth and Luna respectively had become very popular and something completely ordinary. And with the release in the earthern market of the device that made Eartherns immune to the Lunar gift, there wasn't any problem between the citizens of both planets. Plus, she had managed to bring justice and equalitarian between the Lunars and wiped out every social injustice.

Last but not least, she had managed to fulfill her biggest goal. She had managed to change the governmental system of Lunar from monarchy to democracy. It required tons of hard efforts to persuade the people that this change was for their own good and that it wouldn't cause the elimination of their gift. Of course she had to make some concessions from her side. The constitutionalism of Lunar now was constitutional monarchy. Now the elected president, who now was Winter, with her also elected advisory council had the legal power to govern Lunar always according to the will of her citizens. The queen now had just a minor role; she was just a decorative element with no legal authority to interfere to the decisions of the elected government.

Exactly what she wanted.

But Queen Selene for the good of her own people had let a small window in the concordat; The Queen has the right to regain her right to govern when she adjudges that the elected government has become dictatorial. About this knew her and only her and the lone reason she did it, it was to prevent a repetition of the past events. Only herself could trust not to abuse the governmental power and none else, since being a queen was never her deepest dream and would never be.

 _Twelve o' clock_ , her cyber brain's control panel informed her.

Fifteen minutes before her departure, she thought.

It was time she and Iko left.

S he looked for a last time the throne room's balcony, the last place where Kai had genuinely express his love for her.

The place in which lots of false promises had being given. Both on her side and his.

And with that though Cinder closed the door of the dark room where her once own throne was.

….

 **That was the end of the first chapter. I hope you liked it and I eagerly wait to hear your opinions about it.**

 **Xoxoxo,**

 **edwart forever**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer; I do not own anything, except the storyline.**

… **...**

Chapter 2: Cleanups

In the beginning, it was for her a pleasant and a great surprise.

Now she was deeply annoyed with Iko for calling Thorne and Cress to take them to Earth with the Rampion.

Cinder hadn't seen them since Scarlet and Wolf's wedding, two years ago and lots of surprising, for her at least, things had happened since then.

Firstly, surprisingly Thorne and Cress had not broken up.

Secondly, and even more surprisingly, they were now officially engaged since last year.

Thirdly, and even more and more surprisingly this summer they were getting married.

Last but not least, Scarlet was pregnant with not just one baby, but with twins.

"Ask her"

In the other side of the room, Cress, supposing quietly, was trying to persuade Thorne to come sit with her. But if the reason why she was whispering was for not dragging her attention, Cinder thought funnily that she was miserably failing.

"Come on Thorne"

"Why don't you go?" Thorne cowardly questioned her. He was really dreaded of girl talks.

"Because you are closer to her" his future wife told him in a way that made obvious that more delays were not welcomed.

Cinder chuckled quietly.

Poor Thorne, she thought. Cress had already made clear, even before the wedding, who called the shots in this relationship.

Cinder already knew what Thorne was going to tell her. She had already made this conversation with Iko. Again and again and again.

"What are you going to do on Earth?"

"Exactly what I did before I was drafted to the research for the letumosis' antidote."

"Why don't you want me to come with you?"

"Because you don't want to come with me. You want to stay with Thorne and Cress"

"Am I not useful to you anymore?"

"You are very useful Iko, I just don't need any help"

"Why didn't you accept the offer of Emperor Kaito?"

"You are very useful Iko, I just don't need any help"

"Why are you so sad?"

"I am not sad. I am just tired."

And every time she answered her questions a red light flickered in her brain's control panel.

Because _she was lying._

Cinder hated seeing her friends worrying about her. She didn't want them to trouble with her problems.

They had more important things to worry about.

Happy things, not complicated sad things.

"Cinder" Thorne said with gentleness "Cress and I really need an extra pair of hands to help us with the deliveries. Why don't you rejoin my crew?

"Like the old time?" She asked him playfully, winking at him.

"Yeah, exactly like it" he said ardently.

"No, thank you" she said returning to her occupation. She was trying to fix some detached wires in the Rampion's control system.

"But why?" Thorne said discouraged.

"Because Iko is staying. So your extra pair of hands is found. Problem fixed."

"Come on. Iko is Iko. You is you. We want both of you" she said glimpsing at Cress.

"I am sorry but I have things to do at Earth" she said not looking at him while in the same time the red light in her brain continued flickering.

 _Please stop._ She wished.

"What things?" he asked her in a questioning voice.

It was obvious that his _boss_ Emperor Kaito of Eastern Commonwealth, had told him of her refusal to work as a mechanic or lunar ambassador in the palace.

Over the past five years surprisingly Thorne and Kai had grown pretty close despite their differences.

"Oh, very serious things" Iko ironically said, interrupting her. "She has to go back to New Belgin, open up her old filthy store and work like a slave all day with none recognize her hard work".

Cinder could see the hurt and pain Iko felt behind her mocking words.

She was sad to leave her friends but she couldn't do otherwise.

They were ready to start the life they wanted.

They were able to, she thought.

She wasn't.

"Exactly" Cinder said and smiled, supposedly with gratitude to Iko for answering for her. Then she turned her glare to Thorne. "Are you covered?"

Then Cress gave Thorne a sympathetic look that was like saying to him " _At least you tried. She is very stubborn"_

But then Thorne gave her a manly look like telling her " _No, she may be stubborn but I am more stubborn than she is. Besides stubborn is my middle name, right after brave and before charming._

"But Cinder, Kai is still waiting for you. He wants to be with you. Why can't you see it? He l.."he tried to said but she harshly interrupt him.

"Stop it right now Thorne. I don't know what your best friend is telling you and neither do I care. But you don't know a thing about he and me and our relationship, so stop."

"Ok, if that's what you want but you are making a huge mistake" he said tired.

"That's none of your business" she said hugging him, Cress and Iko and getting her luggage." But now excuse me for putting an end to this pleasant conversation but I really need to get out of this plane. Landed it. We just reached Earth"

And after having promised them a thousand times that she would daily emailed them and that she would take care of herself and showed to Cress the improvements she had just made to the control panel of the spaceship, she got out of the Rampion.

First she walked on the land her human leg and then her cyborg one and when she was fully out of the spaceship and looked around the familiar streets of New Belgin, a sense of nostalgia filled her.

She was finally home.

But then, she heard the characteristic sound of a spaceship departuring.

Their friends were gone.

And she suddenly felt very very alone.

Although in a word of billions of people.

…

 **I hope you like it, I know it's not a very good and well written chapter but I promise you the next one is going to be more interesting.**

 **Emperor Kaito is finally making an appearance.**

 **I hope this fact would be a good enough reason to forgive me for this chapter.**

 **Xoxo,**

 **edwartforever**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer; I do not own anything except the storyline.

….

Chapter 3: Lovers of the past

In the lone shop of the streets of New Belgin which was still open at such a late hour the clock at the wall read quarter to nine.

Just fifteen minutes until the regular daily official night royal broadcast.

The broadcast, although royal was not something special, just a quick announcement of Eastern Commonwealth's important and sometimes not so important news and events. Today, though, Emperor Kaito was to make an announcement regarding the annual ball for his birthday and that exactly was the reason that the New Belgin's market was completely isolated from people and all the shoppers had quickly closed their shops to be at their houses on time for the broadcast.

Apart from one, of course. Wire Cutters was still open. It was always open, 24/7.

Normally, it was illegal for shops to be open and close whenever they wanted. The shop-owners had to follow the timetable the palace had decreed, but since there was not very strict supervision in the New Belgin's market, shoppers could occasionally diverge from the official timetable.

But Cinder Lihn never adhered to the program. She stayed open all day and all night. She was not doing it for the money, she just didn't have a home to return after she closed her shop.

Wires Cutters was her only home.

 _9 o'clock_ the clock at the wall of the little shop rung and at the open TV screen appeared the same reporter that for the last twenty years presented the Eastern Commonwealth's news.

" **Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Today…"** he began the broadcast like every other single day he did.

In the meantime, a young men who was walking around the streets of the center of New Belgin enjoying the rarely emptiness of them, stopped dead tracked at the little shop that was still lighted.

" **Wire Cutters. A wide variety of replacement parts and super fast repairs"** he silently read the shop's label and immediately tons of different thoughts passed his mind about the so seemed innocent phrase. He didn't know what to think about this. He didn't know how to feel about this. He didn't want to think or feel anything.

In the end he put a slag but kind at the same time smile on his face and entered the intriguing shop.

"Breath deep Kai" he thought to himself while opening the door. "Because I have a feeling that this time will be harder than the last one"


End file.
